Cigarette holding device



Feb. 28, 1956 FORD 2,736,322

CIGARETTE HOLDING DEVICE Filed June 5, 1953 INVEN TOR.

62472901 [3122 BY I United States Patent CIGARETTE HOLDING DEVICECharles A. Ford, Elizabeth, N. J.

Application June 3,1953, Serial No. 359,381

1 Claim. (Cl. 131-256) This invention relates to improvements incigarette holding devices comprising a resilient tongs structure bywhich a burning cigarette can be supported during the smoking thereof.The invention has for an object to provide a resilient tongs deviceadapted to be held in the smokers hand and provided with gripping jawportions, which are yieldably biased one toward the other, by andbetween which an ignited cigarette can be held during smoking thereof,thus avoiding necessity for holding the cigarette between the smokersfingers, and consequently avoiding risk of resultant nicotine stainingof the fingers.

The invention has for a further object to provide a cigarette holdingtongs comprising a one-piece body formation produced from stiff springywire doubled upon itself to provide a pair of leg members tensionallybiased for relative outward movement, and terminating in opposedcigarette gripping jaws yieldably biased by said leg members formovement one toward the other to cigarette gripping positions; said jawsbeing formed to include means to so limit their cigarette grippingmovement one toward the other that, although firm holding engagement ofa cigarette is assured, nevertheless the gripping action is sorestrained that undue squeezing constriction of the cigarette isprevented, and consequent impedance to draw of smoke through thecigarette is avoided; and the gripping jaws being also so formed as tolimit opening movement of the same, whereby impairment of the springaction of the tongs leg members, by which said jaws are supported andbiased, is likewise avoided.

The above and other objects will be understood from a reading of thefollowing detailed description of this invention in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side edge elevational view of one embodiment of thisinvention showing a cigarette applied thereto and held thereby; Fig. 2is a face view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a face view similar to that ofFig. 2, but showing the gripping jaws in cigarette releasing position.

Fig. 4 is a side edge elevational view of a modified embodiment of thisinvention, showing a cigarette applied thereto and held thereby; Fig. 5is a face view of the same; and Fig. 6 is a face view similar to that ofFig. 5, but showing the gripping jaws in cigarette releasing position.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the herein abovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

The cigarette holding tongs according to this invention, as shown inFigs. 1 to 3 inclusive, comprises a one-piece body formation producedfrom stiff springy wire doubled upon itself into a U-shape to provide aresilient closed lower end 10, from which extend lat erally spaced apartleg members 11 and 12. Extending inwardly from the free end of the legmember 11,

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as an integral part thereof, is an arm 13. In like manner, extendinginwardly from the free end of the opposite leg member 12, as an integralpart thereof, is an arm 14. The inner face of the arm 13 overlaps theinnerface of the arm 14. The arm 13 terminates in a downwardly directedarcuate gripping jaw member 15, which is open toward the leg member 11,and from which extends, toward the latter, a tail piece 16. Similarly,the arm 14 terminates in a downwardly directed arcuate gripping jawmember 17, which is open toward the leg member 12, and from which a tailpiece 18 extends toward said leg member 12. The tail piece 16 crossesthe tail piece 18, the outer faces thereof being overlapped. Said tailpieces are outwardly bowed respectively in opposite directions relativeto the plane of the leg members 11 and 12. The interiors of the jawmembers 15 and 17 are opposed one to the other, and are yieldably urgedone toward the other by the outwardly biasing tension exerted upon theleg members 11 and 12 by the resilient closed end 10 of the tongsdevice. 7

By reason of the lapped relation of the inner faces of the arms 13 and14 and the bowed formation and lapped crossed relation of the outerfaces of the tail pieces 16 and 18, relative movement of the jaw members15 and 17 toward one another is limited by mutual engagement ofintersecting portions of the lapped arms 13 and 14 and lapped tailpieces 16 and 18, and consequently said jaw members, although free toclose upon a cigarette inserted therebetween with adequate gripthereupon for firm holding support thereof, cannot close sufficiently toexert undue constrictive squeezing action upon the cigarette likely toimpede drawing of smoke therethrough by the smoker. On the other hand,the bowed formation of the tail pieces 16 and 18 disposes the juncturesthereof with the respective jaw portions 15 and 17 in the plane of andopposed to inner sides of the respective leg members 11 and 12, wherebyinward movement of the latter, in opposition to the biased tensionthereof, is limited by engagement with said junctures of the aforesaidparts (see Fig. 3). By pressing the leg members 11 and 12 one toward theother, in directions of the arrows in Fig. 3, the jaw portions 15 and 17are separated for reception or release of a cigarette, as the case maybe.

In Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive there is shown a somewhat modified form of thecigarette holding tongs of this invention, the same also comprising aone-piece body formation produced from stiff springy wire doubled uponitself into a U-shape to provide a resilient closed lower end 10' fromwhich extend laterally spaced leg members 11' and 12. Said leg membersterminate in inwardly extending and lapped arms 13 and 14 from whichdepend opposed jaw portions 15' and 17. Formed in connection with thelower ends of the respective jaw portions of 15' and 17 are out-turnedarouate stop members 19 and 2t). Said stop members are laterally bowedor bent so that their free ends 21 and 22 lie substantially in the planeof the leg members 11 and 12', whereby, upon inward movement of thelatter, in opposition to the biased tension thereof, separating movementof the jaw portions 15' and 17 is limited by impingement of said freeends 21 and 22 of the stop members upon the inner sides of therespective leg members (see Fig. 6). By pressing the leg members 11' and12' one toward the other, in directions of the arrows in Fig. 6, the jawportions 15' and 17 are separated for reception or release of acigarette, as the case may be.

From the above it will now be understood that this invention provides avery practical means for so holda 1 ing a cigarette during smokingthereof that necessity for handling the same by the fingers is avoided,and consequently risk of nicotine staining of the fingers is eliminated.Furthermore, the' cigarette smoke is not "conviously collected, as isthe case when tubular cigarette holders are used, The holding tongs ofthis invention Will automatically snuff out a cigarette when it burnsdown to the gripping jaw portions. The tongs can be laid on marginalportions of a table, desk or like supporting surface, so that thecigarette heldtherein can not contact and char said surface. The aboveand many other advantages are incident to the use of the cigaretteholding tongs of this invention. v

Having nowdescribed my invention, I claim:

A cigarette holding tongs comprising a one-piece body formation producedfrom stifi springy wire doubled upon itself to provide a pair of legmembers tensional- 1y biased for relative outward movement, said legmembers terminating in inwardly projecting and lapped arms, opposedarcuate cigarette gripping jaw portions dependent from said arms to lieintermediate said leg 4 l members and to be yieldably biased by" thelatter for movement one toward the other, and said jaw portionsterminating in crossed and lapped outwardly bowed tail pieces, wherebyparts of the jaw portions lie in the plane of and in opposition to theleg members so as to impinge upon the latter with limiting effect uponthe separating movementhof saidj jaw portions, while mutual impingementof intersepting points of said jaw portions and said tail piecesoperates to limit tensional closing movements of said jaw portions,whereby to grip an interposed cigarette without undue squeezingrestriction.

References Citedinthe file of this patent UNITED STATES -PArnrurs1,840,255 Rinne Jan. 5, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,001 Denmark 'Jan. 23,. 1899 3,646 Great Britain" l880 21,381 .Great Britain 1908 170,462 H,Gr'eat' Britain Oct. 27, 1921 742,955 'France' Jan. 6, 1933

